"Wisdom Eyes of Swayambhu" by Karishma Tuladhar, ,

In the year 640CE, a mound of earth rock rose from the ground in the midst of a forested hilltop inhabited by ancestors of today’s sacred monkeys. The mound was discovered and adopted by Buddhists as a center of spirituality. We know it as “Swayambhu”, the “self-manifested”, the “independent earth”. Eyes of Wisdom and Compassion rest upon the world in all directions.

The unassuming mound of earth has been honored as a symbol of self-actualization. Local artisans and architects solidified this spiritual message from nature and celebrated it. There was no greedy vision on capitalizing this little wonder in Kathmandu. The focus of love and harmony opened this site to be supported by architecture around it; and be ever-welcoming to the generations of monkeys and pigeons that continue to inhabit this spiritual center.

They coexist; humans, wildlife, and Swayambhu.